Bounty/bounties

A system funded by the treasury and managed by curators, where recipients get paid as they hit milestones in OpenGov-approved tasks.

What are Bounties?

A bounty is a public task or project funded by the Polkadot treasury, designed to incentivize work that benefits the ecosystem. Anyone can propose a bounty, and once approved by the Polkadot DAO onchain through OpenGov, curators oversee the task, verify progress, and ensure rewards are distributed fairly.

How do Bounties work?

A community member first proposes a bounty with a specific task and reward amount. The proposal is voted on and, if approved, funded by the treasury. Curators are assigned to manage the process, vet applicants, and verify that milestones are met. As recipients reach these milestones, they’re paid out from the bounty’s funds. All actions are transparent and recorded on-chain, using Polkadot’s OpenGov and treasury modules.

Why do Bounties matter for Polkadot?

Bounties empower open participation and decentralize funding decisions for the purpose of getting work done that benefits the ecosystem (without relying on centralized entities).